Chicken soup is a classic comfort food that is perfect for a cold winter evening or when you’re feeling under the weather. It’s a delicious and healthy meal that can be made in a large batch and stored for later when the time arises.
However, one common question that arises when it comes to chicken soup is whether or not it can be frozen. In this blog post, we’ll explore the answer to that question and provide some helpful tips for freezing chicken soup.
Can You Freeze Chicken Soup?
The answer is yes, you can freeze chicken soup. Chicken soup can be frozen for up to six months if stored properly. However, it’s important to note that the quality of the soup may go down over time. This means that the texture and flavor of the soup may change slightly after it’s been frozen and thawed.
Tips for freezing chicken soup
Here are some tips to keep in mind when freezing chicken soup:
- Allow the soup to cool: Before you freeze the soup, it’s important to allow it to cool to room temperature. This will prevent the temperature inside your freezer from rising too quickly and ensure that the soup freezes evenly.
- Use appropriate containers: When freezing chicken soup, it’s important to use containers that are appropriate for freezing. Glass jars or containers that are not labeled as freezer-safe may crack or break when exposed to extreme temperatures. Instead, use plastic containers that are labeled as freezer-safe or use heavy-duty freezer bags.
- Leave room for expansion: As the soup freezes, it will expand. To prevent your container from cracking or breaking, make sure to leave some room at the top of the container. For plastic containers, leave about 1-2 inches of space at the top, and for freezer bags, leave about an inch of space.
- Label and date your containers: To avoid confusion, it’s important to label and date your containers. Write the date you froze the soup and the contents of the container on the label. This will help you keep track of how long the soup has been in the freezer and what it contains.
- Thaw the soup properly: To thaw the soup, remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. Depending on the amount of soup, it may take several hours or overnight to fully thaw. Once the soup is thawed, reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
Mistakes When Freezing Chicken Soup
Rushing To Freezing The Soup When It Has Not Yet To Completely Cool.
This is the most common mistake that even experienced chefs make. So, don’t worry if you also get it.
Let us clarify: when you immediately transfer the hot boiling soup into the freezer, the temperature of the soup’s outer layer will drop suddenly. At the same time, the inside part remains hot. Such a temperature gap will provide the ideal environment for bacteria to breed.
Overfilling Or Under filling The Container
You should not overfill the container. We will apply some science to explain here: when a liquid solidifies, its volume enlarges. That being said, if you overfill the container when the soup freezes, there is no space for the frozen soup to stretch, causing the container to break.
Do not under fill the containers as well. The more space you leave inside the container, the faster freezer-burn occurs.
Overcooking Vegetables In The Soup You’re Freezing
Many new cooks tend to make their dishes too “carefully,” and sometimes they overcook it. Everyone wants to ensure that the food is fully cooked to avoid bacteria, but sometimes, such carefulness turns into a mistake!
For example, when they overcook the vegetables in the first cook, these foods are already too mushy. Then, when they reheat, the food will be even more soggy and untasty.
How Long Does Chicken Soup Last In The Fridge?
How long can you keep chicken soup in the fridge? Well, in a standard 40 Fahrenheit degrees (4 Celsius degrees) fridge, chicken soup can last for 3 to 4 days. During this period, the soup still tastes great after reheating.
How long can chicken soup sit out at room temperature? Please note that, before reheating, you must take it out to defrost, but the left-out time cannot last over 2 hours. After 2 hours of letting it out, the soup enters the “danger zone.” Bacteria can begin multiplying dramatically.
To expand the chicken soup shelf life, you can add a pinch of lemon juice or zest or separate the broth and the starches.
How To Freeze Chicken Noodle Soup
- Pick a Portion Size
The first stage is to select a suitable portion size for storing the frozen soup. Why should you do this step? There are two reasons: you must not overfill or underfill the container – we have already explained the reasons.
Additionally, dividing the soup into smaller portions helps the soup freeze faster! You can also defrost the food and prepare meals quicker with smaller portions.
- Choose The Right Soup Container
There are many soup container sizes and types for you to choose to have the best freezing effect. For example, there are Ziploc containers that you just need to soak into warm waters; the food will slowly defrost and pop out of the bag for you to reheat.
There are also gallon or quart-sized plastic bags that will make the frozen soup flatten. You can maximize the space of storage with this type of container!
- Cool The Soup
The next step is to cool the soup. Please keep in mind: wait for the soup to completely cool down to start freezing.
After pouring soup into containers, place them into the fridge, and set the temperature to the freezing range – 0 Celsius degrees (32 Fahrenheit degrees).
- Avoid Freezer Burn
Freezer burn is one of the common problems that make the chicken soup taste bad. Yet, it is easy to avoid!
Ice crystals are responsible for freezer burn. Therefore, to avoid freezer burn, you must prevent the formation of crystals during cooking.
Here are two methods to avoid crystals when heating: Reduce the air exposure as much as possible first since the crystals are made by exposure to air. Next, cover the soup with plastic wraps or airtight lids.
- Label, Label, Label
To help you remember the expiry date of the chicken soup, we advise you to label them carefully. Note down the ingredients, the cooking and freezing date, and when is the expiry date.
How To Store Chicken Soup (With Noodles) In The Fridge?
Storing the chicken noodle soup is similar to how you store other types of leftover soup. Do not forget to wait until it cools down completely, and store it at the proper temperature in the fridge.
To add in, divide the soup into smaller portions and choose a suitable container type to place the soup. Remember that the containers must be airtight as well.
How To Reheat Frozen Chicken Soup?
We will guide you briefly on how to reheat the chicken soup. Ideally, you should defrost it before reheating.
Step 1: Thaw Chicken Soup
How to thaw frozen chicken soup quickly? It’s simple: take the containers out of the freezer and place them in the fridge where the temperature is higher. If you have already placed the food in the fridge, turn up the heat to defrost the frozen soup.
It will take 1 – 2 days to thaw the soup completely. Thus, plan your meal carefully so that this waiting time won’t break your schedule.
Step 2: Reheating In The Microwave
While waiting for the soup to thaw completely, turn on the microwave. Preheat it to ensure the temperature inside is hot enough to reheat the frozen food. The safe temperature for soup is from 165 degrees Fahrenheit (73.8 Celsius degrees) to above.
When the microwave reaches your demand heat and the soup is defrosted, start reheating! In our experience, 2 or 3 minutes are enough to recook the soup.
How many times can you reheat chicken soup? Well, there is no limit, though. We suggest you avoid reheating it as much as possible and try to finish the dish quickly. Since each time you cook, the water will reduce a bit, and the vegetables, as well as the chicken, will become soggier.
Conclusion
Freezing chicken soup is a great way to save time and have a delicious meal ready to go when you need it. By following the tips above, you can ensure that your soup stays fresh and tasty even after it’s been frozen.
Just remember to use appropriate containers, leave room for expansion, label and date your containers, and thaw the soup properly. With these tips in mind, you can enjoy your favorite chicken soup anytime you want, even if you made it weeks or months ago!
